CHINIOT: After cement dealers have been on strike since July 1, the price of a cement bag has reached Rs650 from Rs460.

The dealers have been on strike in protest at taxes imposed on them in the budget and have stopped supplies to Chiniot and other cities. People are facing an acute shortage of cement while construction and development works in both public and private sectors have been suspended.

Blackmarketeers have taken this opportunity to get abnormal profits and are selling a cement bag at Rs650.

Muhammad Zafar, leader of the Cement Dealers and Distributors Association, told Dawn the federal government had imposed unjust taxes on them and forced them to keep books of accounts and stocks. Most of the dealers were uneducated and had no resources to keep accounting records.

When the government is imposing some Rs150-200 taxes on a cement bag, why it is double taxing the stakeholders involved in cement business, he questioned. He said they would continue their strike till their demands were met.

Deputy Commissioner Syed Aman Anwar told Dawn that he was aware of cement dealers’ strike and ensuing shortage of commodity in the market.

The district administration will ensure its availability in the market, he added.

KILLED: A man killed his brother and injured the other over a property dispute in Chak No 198-GB on Friday.

The Langrana police said Ghulam Farid was sitting in his house with his family when his brother Umar Hayat arrived there brandishing an axe and challenged to teach him a lesson for not giving him his share in the house. He axed to death Farid and injured other brother Ilyas and fled.

The police registered a murder case on the application of Razia Bibi, widow of Farid, and started investigations.

Razia stated that her husband had distributed the household property of his father but Umar demanded more than his share.

COUPLE DIES ON ROAD: A couple died in a road accident in Chak 14-GB on Pindi Bhattian-Chiniot Road.

Muhammad Anwar, of Chak 14-JB, was riding a motorcycle with his wife on pillion seat. Near Adda Burjian, some 15km from Chiniot, a truck hit the motorcycle and the couple died under the truck.

The bodies were shifted by Rescue 1122 workers to the Chiniot District Headquarters Hospital while the police impounded the truck. The driver fled the scene.

Published in Dawn, July 6th, 2019